راحhe departed كأنas though لمnot يوجدِexisted
راح كأن لم يوجدِ
ياoh ليتهwould that he لمnot يولدِwas born!
يا ليته لم يولدِ!
He is gone, as though he had never existed.
He left as if he never existed
Oh, would that he had never been born!
Oh, if only he was never born!
ماnot اليتمُorphanhood فقدُthe loss of والدٍa father
ما اليتمُ فقدُ والدٍ
اليتمorphanhood فقدthe loss of الولدthe child!
اليتم فقد الولد!
Orphanhood is not the loss of a father;
Orphanhood is not the loss of a father
orphanhood is the loss of a child!
Orphanhood is the loss of a son!
الخطبthe calamity غيرnot هيِّنِslight
الخطب غير هيِّنِ
والصبرand patience غيرnot مسعدcomforting
والصبر غير مسعد
The calamity is no light thing,
Troubles are not easy to bear
and patience brings no comfort.
And patience does not bring happiness
ياO غرَّةَradiant brow الفرقدFarqad (a star)، هلاwhy did you not
يا غرَّةَ الفرقد، هلا
عشتyou lived عمرthe lifespan of الفرقدFarqad؟
عشت عمر الفرقد؟
O radiant brow of Farqad, why did you not
Oh partridge chick, why didn't you
live as long as Farqad?
Live the lifetime of a partridge?
عيدthe festival of الربيعspring قدalready أتىhas come
عيد الربيع قد أتى
مالكwhat is wrong with you لمnot تعيِّدyou celebrate the festival؟
مالك لم تعيِّد؟
The spring festival has arrived;
Spring festival has arrived
why have you not celebrated?
Why didn't you celebrate?
مالكwhat is wrong with you لمnot تبسمyou smile لهat it
مالك لم تبسم له
عنrevealing لؤلؤpearls منضدarranged in rows؟
عن لؤلؤ منضد؟
Why have you not smiled at it,
Why didn't you smile with
revealing pearls set in a row?
A string of pearls across your cheek?
ماwhat فَعَلتْdid نسمتُهits breeze
ما فَعَلتْ نسمتُه
بخدكto your cheek المورَّدrosy؟
بخدك المورَّد؟
What did its breeze do
What did his breeze do
to your rosy cheek?
To your rosy cheek?
يأيهاO you العصفورsparrow، قمrise
يأيها العصفور، قم
بينamong الرياضthe gardens غردsing
بين الرياض غرد
O sparrow, rise;
Oh little bird, sing
sing among the gardens.
Among the gardens
قمrise، أملأfill البيتthe house نشاliveliness (first part)
قم، أملأ البيت نشا
طًاcompletes 'liveliness' بينamid لهوmerriment ودَدِand play
طًا بين لهو ودَدِ
Rise, fill the house with liveli-
Sing, fill the house with joy
ness, amid merriment and play.
Between play and affection
البيتthe house ماas long as لمnot تأوهyou dwell in it
البيت ما لم تأوه
كالدَّيْرِlike a monastery، أوor كالمسجدlike a mosque
كالدَّيْرِ، أو كالمسجد
The house, so long as you do not dwell in it,
The house without your sighs
is like a monastery or a mosque.
Is like a monastery or mosque
أعزِزْhow grievous علىupon أبيكyour father أنthat
أعزِزْ على أبيك أن
تصمُتَyou fall silent صمتَthe silence of الأبدeternity!
تصمُتَ صمتَ الأبد!
How grievous it is to your father that
Insist on keeping silent to your father
you should fall silent for eternity!
The silence of eternity!
ماhow أبعدdistant الصبرَpatience علىat
ما أبعد الصبرَ على
فقدthe loss of الصبيِّthe boy الأملدtender-limbed!
فقد الصبيِّ الأملد!
How far beyond reach is patience at
How hard is patience
the loss of the tender-limbed boy!
For the loss of a hopeful lad!
صادٍa thirsty one أصابfound منهلاًa watering place
صادٍ أصاب منهلاً
لكنهbut he لمnot يردcome to drink
لكنه لم يرد
A thirsty one who found a watering place,
An archer hit a spring
but never came to drink.
But did not want to drink
وإنماand indeed أطفالchildren هـthis (first part)
وإنما أطفال هـ
ـذاcompletes 'this' اليومthe day، أبطالheroes الغدtomorrow
ـذا اليوم، أبطال الغد
And indeed, the children of to-
Rather, the children of this day
day are the heroes of tomorrow.
Are tomorrow's heroes
ويحalas for البنينsons ويحهمalas for them
ويح البنين ويحهم
فيin الموتdeath أوor فيat المولدbirth!
في الموت أو في المولد!
Alas for sons, alas for them,
Woe to the boys, woe in
in death or at birth!
Death or birth!
همْthey عوَّدواthey accustomed قلبيmy heart الأسىsorrow
همْ عوَّدوا قلبي الأسى
وقبلَهمand before them لمnot أعتدI become accustomed
وقبلَهم لم أعتد
They have accustomed my heart to sorrow,
They made my heart accustomed to sorrow
and before them I was unused to it.
Before them I never knew
لسُقمِهِمْfor their sickness وموتهمand their death
لسُقمِهِمْ وموتهم
حزازةa gnawing ache فيin الكبدthe liver!
حزازة في الكبد!
Their sickness and their death leave
Their illness and death
a gnawing ache in the liver!
Are daggers in my liver!
تخطفهمsnatches them away يدthe hand of الردىdeath
تخطفهم يد الردى
ونحنand we مكتوفوbound اليدthe hand
ونحن مكتوفو اليد
Death's hand snatches them away,
The hand of fate snatches them
while our hands are bound.
While we stand helpless
ليتwould that الذيthe one who يسلبهمis robbed of them
ليت الذي يسلبهم
يسعدfinds solace بالتجلدthrough fortitude!
يسعد بالتجلد!
Would that the one robbed of them
If only their taker
could find solace in fortitude!
Could be happy with endurance!
ليتwould that لناfor us أفئدةًhearts
ليت لنا أفئدةً
منحوتةhewn منfrom جلمدsolid rock!
منحوتة من جلمد!
Would that we had hearts
If only we had hearts
hewn from solid rock!
Carved of ice!
كماjust as عاقرa childless man بدونهمwithout them
كما عاقر بدونهم
يعيشlives عيشthe life of المفردone alone
يعيش عيش المفرد
Just as a childless man, without them,
As a childless man lives
lives the life of one alone,
The life of solitude
ووالدand a father منfrom هَمِّهمworry over them
ووالد من هَمِّهم
يشيبgrows gray قبلbefore الموعدthe appointed time!
يشيب قبل الموعد!
a father, too, from worry over them,
And a father's worry for them
grows gray before his time!
Turns his hair gray prematurely!
Sol 6.1